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The construction of disability facility ramps is currently underway at Aganang municipal offices.
The municipality encountered challenge of people living with disability not being able to access the management offices in the past years. This is one of project planned for the financial year 2012/13 and an amount of R1, 2 million is budgeted for implementation of the disabled facility. Her Worship Mayor, Cllr Maria Mokobodi said the municipality realised the need to have the disability ramps in order to have people living with disability having access to the Municipal Manager and Mayor‘s offices at all times. The project is expected to be complete by June 2014.
Aganang Local Municipality is complying with SALGA Disability Framework for Local Government 2009-2014 on the role and effectiveness of disability legislation in South Africa indicating that South Africa has some of the most comprehensive pieces of legislation and policies protecting and promoting the rights of people with disabilities. The South African Constitution is the main instrument that guarantees equality and prohibits discrimination of several bases, including disability.
Local government instruments legislation and policies seeks to ensure equitable access to basic services. The policies mandate provincial and local government departments and municipalities (Aganang) to ensure effective and efficient service delivery to all communities within their jurisdiction, including people with disabilities.
The White Paper on Local Government (1998) identifies the need for municipalities to ensure that all citizens, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation have access to at least a minimum level of services. The paper further states that accessibility is not only about making services available, but also about making services easy and convenient to use. Therefore, municipalities are expected to ensure that people with disabilities are able to access municipal services and amenities.
The Local Government Municipal Systems Act No.32 of 2000 requires that municipalities take into account the special needs of disadvantaged groups, among the people with disabilities. It also indicates that community members have right to the use and enjoyment of public facilities and the right to have access to basic services that municipalities provide
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